Cigarette lighter and dispenser



March 17, 1970 B. N. KovAcEvlc CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1968 vMarch 17, 1970 B. N. KovAcEvlc 3,501,051

CIGARETTE LIGHTER A ND DISPENSER Filed March 29, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,501,051 CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND DISPENSER Boris N. Kovacevic, Chicago, Ill., assignor to B & S Engineering & Mfg. Corp., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 29, 1968, Ser. No. 717,087 Int. Cl. B65d 83/00 U.S. Cl. 221-147 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus including a reciprocable lever movable between a rst position and a second position and releasably retained in said second position. Movement of the lever energizes a heater and actuates a motor. Provided in the housing of the apparatus is a motor actuated cam adapted to cooperate with a cam follower or latch on the lever to release the latch and permit the lever to return from said second position to said rst position, thereby deenergizing the heater and deactuating the motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing lighted cigarettes and, more particularly, to an improved apparatus for storing a quantity of cigarettes and for automatically dispensing a single lighted cigarette as desired.

The present application relates to an improved device of the type disclosed generally in my Patent 3,369,701 granted Feb. 20, 1968. There is shown in said patent apparatus for dispensing lighted cigarettes which includes a housing having a cigarette support therein for holding asupply of cigarettes and permitting them to move downwardly on the inclined surface of the support toward one end thereof. A heating element is disposed adjacent one side of the support proximate the discharge end thereof for lighting a selected cigarette. Cigarette moving means are provided in the housing for moving individual cigarettes successively to the lighting position. The cigarette moving means includes a shaft journaled in the housing transversely of the line of movement of the cigarettes on the support and means on the shaft for engaging with and supporting a single cigarette, while retaining succeeding cigarettes on the support. Also included in the housing are timing means for energizing the ignition means and controlling the length of the ignition cycle and stop means operatively connected to the timing means for receiving a cigarette from the cigarette moving means, retaining same at the lighting position during the ignition cycle, and releasing same at the end of the ignition cycle to a position where it may be grasped by a user. The timing means in said patented apparatus included a bimetallic switch element pivotally supported in the housing and adapted to be rotated into engagement with a xed switch contact upon actuation of a push bar means on the housing.

Due to-the nature of the bimetallic switch, there was some variation in the length of the timing cycle. Further, to reduce the cost of the combination cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus, it was desired to simplify the constructional components and assembly to provide for increased reliability, as well as to provide an arrangement that would be readily adapted to be connected to a source of A.C. current, or a source of DLC. current.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus having novel actuating means therein for controlling the length of the ignition cycle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus incorporating a reciprocable lever means therein movable between a first position and a second position and having a latch pivoted at one end thereof for retaining same at said second position, which latch is adapted to be operatively engaged by a cam driven by a motor in the housing means for releasing same to permit return of the lever means to said rst position.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved cigarette lighter and dispenser incorporating actuating means including a reciprocable lever in the housing, a motor in the housing adapted to be connected to a source of either A.C. current or D.C. current, and cam means operatively disposed between the motor and the lever, whereby the lever is manually actuated from a first position to a second position to energize the ignition element and the motor within the housing, and the motor operates a cam to release the lever after a predetermined time to deenergize the ignition element and the motor. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The attached drawings illustrate a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention in which:

FIG. l is a cross-sectional view of the combination cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus of the present invention taken generally along the line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional View of the combination cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus taken generally along the line 2--2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2, and illustrating the position of the components at the iirst position before actuation to initiate an ignition cycle;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the position of the components with the lever at the second position;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of the lever, the pivoted latch thereon, the stop means and the actuator operatively connected to the motor means for pivoting the latch on the lever, illustrating the position of the elements during movement of the lever from the first position to the second position;

FIG. 6 is a detail view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the position of the latch in engagement with the stop means in the housing;

FIG. 7 is a detail view similar to FIG. 6, illustrating the position of the latch after movement of the actuator through a predetermined interval to release the latch from the stop means and thereby permit return of the lever from the second position to the first position;

FIG. 8 is a detail cross-sectional View illustrating the relationship between the cigarette support, the cigarette moving means and the stop means within the housing for retaining a cigarette at the ignition position; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a wiring circuit for the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to IFIGS. l and 2, there is shown the combination cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus 10 of the present invention. The apparatus 10 comprises a boxlike housing 12 having a cover 14 pivotally or otherwise suitably secured thereon.

Provided within the housing 12 is a cigarette suport member or chute 16 comprising sidewalls and an elongated inclined planar bottom. The planar bottom of the chute is suitably disposed in an incline within the housing 12 so as to provide for gravity feed of the cigarettes.

Cigarette support and moving means are provided adiacent the end of the chute 1.6 for receiving a selected cigarette and moving same to an ignition position, while at the same time retaining succeeding cigarettes on the chute. The cigarette support and moving means may comprise a shaft 18 journaled at its ends in brackets 19 and 20, respectively, secured t the base 11 of the housing 12. Carried on the shaft 18 is a retainer 22 having a recess 24 therein for receiving a single cigarette and conveying same from the chute 16 to an ignition position, while at the same time retaining the next succeeding cigarettes on the chute 16.

The shaft 18 has a crank portion 18a at one end there.

of, which is adapted to be operatively engaged with a lever 26 for actuating same. The lever 26 is operatively connected adjacent one end to the crank portion 18a and is connected at the other end to a push bar 28 pivotally secured to the front of the apparatus 10. As will be more clearly described hereinafter, upon movement of the push bar 28 about its pivot axis, the lever 26 will be moved so as to rotate shaft 18 to cause a single cigarette from the chute 16 to be carried by retainer 22 to an ignition position. The lever 26 is biased toward its starting position by the spring 30 operatively connected between the lever 26 and the housing 12. The spring 30 functions to bias the shaft 18 to its starting position upon release of the push bar 28.

The selected cigarette to be lit is retained in the ignition or lighting position by stop means that include a shaft 34 rotatably secured in the housing and having finger-like stops 35 projecting or extending therefrom for engaging with and retaining the selected cigarette.

Disposed at one end of the ignition position and indicated generally by the numeral 36 is an ignition means which preferably comprises a coiled resistance heating element for lighting the end of a cigarette.

Actuating means are provided in the housing for en ergizing the ignition means and for controlling the length of the ignition cycle. The actuating means includes a lever 40 adapted to abut the push bar 28 and to be reciprocated in the housing between a Vlirst position and a second position. The lever 40 is adapted to be moved rearwardly from a first position to a second position upon manual actuation of the push bar 28. Actuation of the lever from the first position to the second position will close the contacts of switch 42, closing a circuit to energize the ignition element 36 and an electric motor 44 within the housing. Preferably, the motor 44 is adapted to drive shaft 54 through a gear box 45 as shown in FIG. l. Carried on the lever 40 is a latch 46, which is adapted to engage with a stop means 48 xed in the housing for retaining the lever 40 at the second position.

Disposed between the motor 44 and the lever means 40 are cam means 49 responsive to rotation of the motor 44 for moving the latch 46 to permit release of the latch 46 from the stop 48, thereby permitting movement of the lever from the second position to the first position under the urging of the bias spring 50. As the lever 40 returns from the second position to the rst position, the switch 42 will be permitted to open, deenergizing the heating element 36 to terminate the ignition cycle and at the same time deenergizing the motor 44.

The cam means 49 includes an actuator 52 secured on the motor shaft 54 and responsive to rotation of the shaft 54. Projections or cam lugs 55, 56 and 57 extend from the actuator 52 and are adapted to engage with a finger or projection 58 extending at a right angle from the latch 46 for pivoting the latch 46 about its pivot 59 to release the front end of the latch 46 from engagement with the stop 48. The latch 46 is constructed and arranged such that it will normally pivot counter-clockwise about the axis of the pivot 59 as viewed in FIG. 1. The actuator 52 will rotate clockwise as viewed in FIG. 1, such that a selected projection `55, 56 or 57 will engage with the projection 58 on the latch 46 for rotating the latch clockwise about its pivot to release the front end thereof from engagement with the stop 48.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is illustrated the components of the combination cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus 10 prior to actuation of the push bar 28. The lever means 40 is normally biased forwardly by the spring 50, such that the contacts of the switch 42 are open. Thus, the ignition means 36 and the motor 44 will be deenergized. The shaft 34 is in its starting position and the stops 35 thereon are in the position as shown in FIG. 1.

In order to move a selected cigarette from the support or chute 16 to the ignition position, and to ignite the cigarette at the ignition position, the push bar 28 is actuated to move the lever means 40 rearwardly to a second position as shown in FIG. 4. During initial rearward movement of the lever means 40, the rearwardly extending arm portion 40a having an incline surface 40b thereon engages the arm 42a. of the switch 42 to close the contacts thereof, thereby energizing the ignition element 36 and the motor 44. At the same time, the crank arm of the shaft 34 which is operatively disposed within a recess 64 in the lever means 40 is actuated to move the stops 35 on the shaft 34 from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 8. In this position, the stops 35 will retain a cigarette to be lit in position adjacent the ignition element 36.

During rearward movement of the lever means 40, the latch 46 pivoted on the rear end thereof will also be carried rearwardly. For a time, the stop means 48 will engage with the surface 60 on the latch 46. When the surface 60 moves rearwardly a suicient distance to clear the lower edge of the stop means 48, the latch 46 will pivot about the axis of the pivot pin 59 (which may be formed integrally with latch or timing cam 46 or may be journaled in the lever 40 and suitably secured to the latch 46), such that the pin means 58 on the latch will move over one projection 55 on the actuator 52 and the pivot motion of the latch 46 will stop when the forwardly extending arm or extension 66 pivots upwardly into engagement with the transversely disposed stop 48 fixedly secured in housing 12.

Upon actuation of the motor 44, the shaft 54 will be rotated to drive the actuator 52. The pin or projection 57 on the actuator 52 will engage beneath the pin 58 and move same clockwise, thereby pivoting the latch 46 clockwise, thereby pivoting the latch 46 clockwise about the pivot pin 59 to release the front edge 63 thereof from the stop means 48 and thereby permit the lever means 40 to be biased forwardly from the second position to the first position by the spring 50. The spring 50 is disposed within the tubular housing member 51 that is secured to the stop 48, or otherwise suitably fixed in housing 12. The housing 51 functions to house a portion of the spring 50 and to guide the rearwardly extending arm 53 of the lever means 40.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate details of the cooperative association of the lever 40, latch 46, actuator 52 and stop means 48. FIG. 5 illustrates the position of the components as the lever means 40 is moved rearwardly and as the latch 46 pivots about the axis of the pivot pin 59 until the extension 66 on the latch 46 abuts the underside of the stop 48. There is sufficient movement or overtravel of the lever and latch 46 carried thereon past the stop 48 to permit the pin 58 on the latch 46 to move beyond the extremity of the projection on the actuator 52. This is clearly shown in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 6, there is illustrated the position of the latch 46 with the front end 63 thereof abutting the stop 48 so as to retain the lever means 40 in the second position. The pin 58 on the latch 46 is engaged with the actuator 52 in readiness to be operatively actuated thereby.

FIG. 7 illustrates the position of the latch 46 just after the pin S8 has been raised by projection 57 on cam actuator 52 to pivot latch 46 so as to release the front end 63 thereof from engagement with the stop 48, thereby permitting movement of the lever 48 forwardly from the second position to the rst position.

In FIG. 8, there is illustrated a detailed view of the cigarette moving means and the stop means, with the cigarette moving means retaining cigarettes on the chute 16 and with a cigarette C being retained on the stops 35 at the ignition position. It will be understood that when the push bar 28 is released, actuating lever 40 is moved forwardly or to the right as seen in FIG. 1, at which time the shaft 34 is pivoted to return the stops to the position shown in FIG. l, thereby permitting the lighted cigarette to move into a discharge position 64 of the housing where it can be grasped by a user. At the same time, the cigarette moving means 22 is returned to the position illustrated in FIG. l to permit reception of another cigarette to be lit into the recess 24 thereof.

Referring now to FIG. 9, there is illustrated a schematic wiring diagram for the cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus of the present invention. The leads L1 and L2 are adapted to vbe secured to a suitable source of power, for example, a 110` v. A.C. source. Disposed in series in the circuit are the switch 42 and the ignition element 36. In the embodiment illustrated, the motor 44 is a D.C. motor and, accordingly, a rectifier bridge 68 is provided in the circuit to rectify the A.C. current supplied. A resistance 69 is provided in the circuit in parallel with the motor 44. In the circuit shown, a bulb 70 is provided in parallel with the motor 44. The bulb 70 will be energized whenever the motor is energized to indicate that the apparatus is operative.

It will be evident that upon closure of the switch 42, the ignition element 36 and the motor 44 will be energized. As explained in detail above, after a predetermined interval of time, cam means responsive to rotation of the shaft of motor 44 release the actuating lever to permit switch 42 to open, deenergizing both the motor 44 and the ignition element 36.

The apparatus of the present invention may readily be adapted to be supplied from a D.C. current source. In the event it is desired to operate the combined cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus from a suitable DC. source, as, for example, an automobile battery, the rectier bridge 68 and the resistance 69 may be omitted from the circuit. The line 71 would then be connected to one side of the motor 44 and the line 72 would then be connected to the other side of the motor 44. The apparatus would function in the same manner as described above with the exception that the elements 68 and 69 would 4be omitted.

There has been provided by the present invention an improved cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus having novel actuating means for controlling the ignition cycle. The device of the present invention is reliable and functions in an accurate manner to provide a constant timing cycle for a prolonged period of time. The device may readily be adapted to be used from a D.C. supply source, or from an A.C. supply source.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, but may be otherwise practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus cornprising a housing, a cigarette support in said housing for supporting a plurality of cigarettes, ignition means disposed adjacent one side of the support proximate the discharge end thereof for lighting a selected cigarette, means for moving individual cigarettes successively to a lighting position, actuating means for energizing the ignition means and for controlling the length of the ignition cycle, stop means operatively connected to the actuating means for receiving a cigarette from the support, retaining same at the lighting position during the ignition cycle and releasing same at the end of the ignition cycle, characterized by the actuating means including switch means in the housing in a circuit with the ignition means and with a motor means, rst lever means in the housing for actuating the switch means, and being movable ibetween a first position, wherein the switch means is open and the motor means and ignition means are deenergized and a second position, wherein the motor means and ignition means are energized, said first lever means being releasably retained in said second position, whereby after a predetermined time, said first lever means are moved from the second position to the first position, cam means disposed between the motor means and the first lever means and responsive to rotation of the motor means and a pushbar pivotally mounted on said housing for actuating said rst lever means, said first lever means being operatively connected to said stop means and separate lever means operatively connected between the pushbar and the moving means to actuate same at the same time the first lever means are actuated.

2. A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said first lever means is adapted to be manually actuated in one direction and spring biased in the opposite direction.

3. A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said rst lever means is mounted for reciprocation in said housing.

4.A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the cam means includes a latch movable on the first lever means and adapted to engage the stop means in the housing after the first lever means has moved a predetermined distance in said one direction, and an actuator associated with the motor means and responsive to rotation thereof for releasing the latch from the stop means to permit the first lever means to `be biased in said opposite direction to its starting position.

5. A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the latch is pivoted on the rst lever means and the stop means is fixed in the housing.

6. A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus as in claim 5, wherein the latch is constructed and arranged so as to be pivoted into engagement with the stop means, and said actuator associated with the motor means is adapted to engage the latch for pivoting same out of latching engagement with the stop means.

7. A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the actuator is secured to a shaft of the motor means, said actuator having projections thereon for engaging with the latch at predetermined intervals during rotation of said actuator.

`8. A cigarette lighter and dispenser apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said motor means is a D.C. motor adapted to be supplied with current from an A.C. source, and rectifier means is disposed in circuit with said motor means to rectify the current supplied thereto.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,292,817 12/1966 Monasterio 221-147 X 3,294,285 12/ 1966 Kovacevic 221--147 SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner 

